The invention encompasses methods of obtaining listings of information from databases and utilizing the listings as user input to a machine in data communication with the databases. In particular aspects, the invention encompasses methods of enabling customers to review information from an account that is stored in a database. In other aspects, the invention encompasses methods of identifying materials that cite a document.
Presently, a large amount of information is stored on databases. Many of the databases are linked to networks. A particularly popular network is the so-called xe2x80x9cInternet,xe2x80x9d which is a network extending across numerous countries, and across both hemispheres of the globe. The world wide web (the web) is a portion of the global Internet having hypertext-enabled pieces of information. Specific locations on the Internet are identified by a uniform resource location (URL) which is effectively an address of the information on the Internet.
It would be desirable to develop new methodologies for enabling persons to access and utilize information available in networks. It would be particularly useful to develop new methodologies which could be utilized for enabling persons to retrieve information accessible through the Internet.
In one aspect, the invention encompasses a method of obtaining a listing of information from a database and utilizing the listing as a user input to a machine in data communication with the database. A database is provided, and such database has a plurality of objects stored therein. A machine is utilized to form a machine-readable code on a substrate. The machine-readable code describes the location of a set of objects in the database. The machine-readable code is read with a reading machine configured to access the database and extract the set of objects from the database. The extracted set of objects is outputted as a listing on a substrate. The substrate having the listing thereon is provided to a user. The user marks at least some of the objects on the listing. After at least some of the objects are marked, the listing is scanned with a scanning machine configured to recognize the objects and to distinguish marked objects from unmarked objects. The scanning machine is in data communication with the database and is in data communication with a processor which performs a different operation on marked objects of the listing than on unmarked objects of the listing. Accordingly, the listing on the substrate functions as a user input to the processor.
In another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of enabling customers to review information from an account that is stored in a database. A printed communication having machine-readable code associated therewith is provided to a customer. The machine-readable code identifies the database location where the customer""s account information is stored. The machine-readable code is read with a machine configured to extract the database location from the machine-readable code and to access the database location. Account information is sent from the database location to an output device accessible by the customer to enable the customer to review information from the account.
In yet another aspect, the invention encompasses a method of identifying materials that cite a document. A database of bibliographies of numerous materials is provided. A document having machine-readable code associated therewith is provided. The machine-readable code identifies the document within the database of bibliographies. The machine-readable code is read with a machine configured to extract an identification of the document from the machine-readable code. The machine is in data communication with the database and is configured to search the database for bibliographies referencing the document. The machine is further configured to correlate any bibliography referencing the document to a particular material containing the bibliography. The machine is in data communication with an output device. A list of materials which referenced the document is outputted by the output device, and, as above, the user can select from this listing other documents they would like to retrieve.